Home file box



HOME FILE Box 2 sheets-sheet i INVENTORS GERALDINE K.BEEM OWEN W. BEEM ATTORNEYS G. K. BEEM ETAL l :TNI ullnlll I l HH" llu.

Jan. 5, 1965 Filed May '7, 1962 Jan- 5, 1965 G. K. BEEM ETAL 3,164,430

HOME FILE Box Filed May 7, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTRS GERALDrNErQBEEM OWEN w.aEEM

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O Filed May 7, 1962, Ser. No. 192,805 3 Claims. (Cl. S12-234.4)

lThis invention appertains to tile boxes `and cabinets, and more particularly to a novel dile box especially designed for home use.

There has ylong been a need for a single unitary device for holding and keeping track of household bills, such as utility bills, insurance, rent, home and car payments, taxes etc. and the necessary appliances for facilitating the paying of such bills, in lieu of the usual practice of haphazardly keeping all bills in a drawer or drawers, and checkbooks, envelopes, stamps, pen and pencils in various other places around the home.

`lt fis, therefore, one of the primary objects of our invention to provide a home file box having a separate compartment `for the reception of bills (accounts payable), properly separated yand classified by movable dividers properly labelled, and compartments for check-books, envelopes of different sizes, stamps and writing appliances etc. `for `facilitating the proper paying and mailing out of such bills.

Another salient object of the invention is to provide a home yile box embodying a body -with .the various compartments thereinyand a removable cover provided with inwardly `directed iianges or ribs for limiting the dow-nward movement of the cover on the box, the iianges or ribs constituting seats for removably receiving a large size checkbook with stubs, whereby upon removal of the cover from the body, the cover .will effectively constitute a holder for the checkbook to permit the convenient ctilling out of the checks and stubs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a home dile box having the compartments so arranged therein as to permit a compact device to be had and so that the box can be conveniently molded from a desired plastic.

A still yfurther important object of the invention is to provide a b-ill and bank iile of a compact order that can beornamented and finished in diiferent colors to provide a pleasing appearance and to harmonize with home surroundings.

With these and other objects in view, the invention con-k sists in the 'novel arrangement, formation and construction ofparts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings, v

-FIGURE l is a perspective view of the home .bill and bank file with the cover partially removed, parts of the on the line 4 4 of FIGURE i2, looking inthe direction ofthe arrows and showing the compartments for rolls of stamps of different denominations and `Referring -to the drawings indetail, wherein similar ref- .erence characters designate corresponding parts throughout theseveralV views, the letter generally 'indicates our ice novel bill and bank rile box, and the same includes a body 11B and a removable cover 11.

The box B can be for-med from any desired materials and fabricated in any desired way; however, we prefer to Imold ythe iiile box from a thermoplastic material and indifferent colors.

The body 10 comprises a bottom wall 12, front and rear walls 13 and 14 and side walls 15. Extending transversely across Ithe body d0 are partition lwalls 16, -17 and 18. All of the partition walls V16, 17 vand 18 are connected or molded with the side lwalls 15. The partition wall 16 is spaced a considerable distance from the front wall 13 and combines with the front wall 13 and portions of the side wall 15 to provide a front .compartment 19. This constitutes the main compartment and this compartment receives bills to be paid. To classify the bills and keep the same in proper order, we provide a series of thin, flexible dividers 20, and these dividers are provided with yupstanding tabs 21 having printed thereon, -or otherwise iaiiixed thereto, indicia indicating the types of bills. Thus, one divider can be provided with the label House; another Automobile, another Utilities etc. lIn order to hold the dividers in proper position and in different spaced relation to one another, the bottom wall i12 of the body is provided with spaced opstanding longitudinally extending ribs 22. These ribs extend from the `front wall 13 to the partition 16, and the upper facesk of the ribs are provided with a series of notches 23, and these notches receive the lower edgesof the dividers 2t).

4The partition '17 is arranged in close proximity to the partition :16 and forms therewith a compartment 24 for detachably receiving and holding a pocket checkbook or the like. The partition `18 is spaced from the partition 17 a greater distance than the `distance between the partitions 16 and 17. l The partitions 17 and 1S `are connected by an arcuate top wall 25 and this constitutes a rest or holder for writing appliances, namely, pens and pencils.

The partition P18 is spaced a considerable distance from the rear' wall 14 and combines therewith to form a second provided by forming .a front partition 29 and an end partip Ition Si? in spaced relation to the rear wall 14 and an end wall l15. A removable cover 31 is provided ifor the cornpartments 27 and 28 and the cover is provided with slits .-32 and 33 through rwhich the stamps from therolls are threaded `for ready use. The compartments 27 and 28 preferably terminate short of the upper edge of the body of :the box so Athat as the stamps protrude through the slits 32 `and 33 `they will not be detached by the removable cover 11. The compartments 27 and 28 can be fur-ther Y defined by a bottom wall 34 which is connected withKrth'e rear .wall 1d, `and an end Wall 15 and partition walls 29 and 39,

yAs best illustrated in FIGURE 2, lthe portions of the box below the arcuate rest 25 and the wall 34' can open I out'through the bottoni -wall :12 of the lbody of the box I IFIGURE. 5 `is a detail fragmentary longitudinal sec-v tional View through the body of the rile box showing a v slightly -rnodiiied form of the invention.

and this is to facilitate the molding `of the body ofthe box and lighten the weight thereof.

The Vcompartment 26 is provided for `receiving envelopes of different sizes and` long envelopes can be placed in front of the compartment 26 and infront of the compartf men-ts 27 and 28 for the stamps; Shorter envelopes are placed in theA 'rear of the compartment and alongside of the compartments for the stamps. Y

In FroURE s a slightly modified form of ai@ inventan is shown'and inthis' form, the space between vvthe partitions 17 and ,13 does not open out through the bottom of the box, and I provide a removable cover. 35 for spanf ningthe partitions17 and 1 8, and' this cover constitutes atea-,430

35' can be utilized for various purposes, such as a secret compartment for coins or paper money.

The cover 11 includes a dat top wall 36 and a depending skirt 37. The inner faceof 'the skirt 37, preferably at three points, is providedwith inwardly directed supporting flanges orV ledges 38. These ianges or ledges 38 are spaced from the lower edge of the skirt and from the top wall 36. These ilanges or ledges limit the downward movement ,of the cover 4on the body of the box and provide means for supporting and holding a checkbook 39, shown in dotted lines in FGURE 2 of the drawing.

This checkbookis of the portfolio type, namely, constituting a series of pages with three checks and stubs on each page. Thus, the cover 11 houses and carries the checkbook.V The checkbook can easily be removed from and replaced in the cover by iiexing the same and sliding the book under the flanges or ledges. With 4the checkbook associated with the cover and when it is desired to write checks, the cover can be removed and placed in an inverted position on a surfa, and the checks and their stubs can be lled out wi-th the checkbook still inthe cover. f

if desired, an account book can be carried by the cover in lieu 4of thelarge size checkbook, in which instance `the pocket checkbook in compartment 24 can be utilized forpaying bills.y Y p vChanges in details may bemade without departing from the spirit for thescope of this invention, but what we claim as new is: 1

1. A homebill and bank tile comprising a body and a removable cover,'said body including a plurality of transhaving in one corner thereof small compartments for the reception of stamps ot different denominations, a removable cover or the stamp compartments, said remaining portion of said rear large compartment being adapted to receive envelopes of different sizes, and certain of said partitions being bridged by a transversely extending arcuate wall defining a rest Afor -pens and the like, and relatively thin tlexible separators in said front large compartment having their lower edges detachably iitted and held in said slits, said separators bearing indicia indicating classes of bills.

,2. A home bill and bank tile as dened in claim l, wherein said rest is so constructed and arranged as to be removable to provide access to a compartment defined by said partitions.

3. A home bill and bank iile comprising a body and a removable cover, said body including a plurality of transversely extending partitions, said partitions being grouped adjacent to the center of the body defining a front large compartment and a rear large compartment and center smaller compartments, said front large compartment delining a space for bills and statements and having formed on its bottom a pair of spaced longitudinally extending ribs provided with transverse slits, said cover constitituting a holder and back for a checkbook whereby said cover with said checkbook can be laid in an inverted position on a surface to permit the lling out of the checks and stubs, and relatively thin eXible separators in said front large compartment having their lower edges detachably fitted and held in said slits, said separators bearing indicia indicating classes of bills.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,644,830 Henderson Oct. 1l, 1927 1,657,277 OConnor Jan. 24, 1928 1,901,861 Baker Mar. 21, 1933 2,522,768 Wiepert Sept. 19, 1950 2,701,635 Mills Feb. 8, 1955 2,725,244 Friday Nov. 29, 1955 2,848,292 Lewis Aug. 19, 1958 

1. A HOME BILL AND BANK FILE COMPRISING A BODY AND A REMOVABLE COVER, SAID BODY INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PARTITIONS, SAID PARTITIONS BEING GROUPED ADJACENT TO THE CENTER OF THE BODY DEFINING A FRONT LARGE COMPARTMENT AND A REAR LARGE COMPARTMENT AND CENTER SMALL COMPARTMENTS, SAID FRONT LARGE COMPARTMENT DEFINING A SPACE FOR BILLS AND STATEMENTS AND HAVING FORMED ON ITS BOTTOM A PAIR OF SPACED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RIBS PROVIDED WITH TRANSVERSE SLITS, SAID REAR COMPARTMENT HAVING IN ONE CORNER THEREOF SMALL COMPARTMENTS FOR THE RECEPTION OF STAMPS OF DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS, A REMOVABLE COVER FOR THE STAMP COMPARTMENTS, SAID REMAINING PORTION OF SAID REAR LARGE COMPARTMENTS BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ENVELOPES OF DIFFERENT SIZES, AND CERTAIN OF SAID PARTITIONS BEING BRIDGED BY A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ARCUATE WALL DEFINING A REST FOR PENS AND THE LIKE, AND RELATIVELY THIN FLEXIBLE SEPARATORS IN SAID FRONT LARGE COMPARTMENT HAVING THEIR LOWER EDGES DETACHABLY FITTED AND HELD IN SAID SLITS, SAID SEPARATORS BEARING INDICIA INDICATING CLASSES OF BILLS. 